Switching apparatus for electric signs



Jan. 12, 1932. B. M. ANTIPOVITCH 1,840,299

swrrcnme APPARATUS FOR mmc'rnlc SIGNS :Filed Oct.. 50. 1929 :s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR WITNES 107i. HAnh'povifch M 111 5., em, (An-m,

a d n m his u'Hon-reys Jan. 12, 1932.

B. M. ANTIPQVITCH SWITCHING rA uug em ELECTRIC sIeNs mm on. so 1929 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Boris M.An+ipo-vi1' h WITNESS his affornegs Jan. 12, 1932. B. M. ANTIPOVITCH SWITCHING APPARATUS FCR ELECTRIC SIGNS Filed (Jo t. so. 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 3' INVENTOR Boris M.Anfipovi1"C/2. b q 6mm, flzga/ hw Patented Jan. 12, 1932 g p UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BORIS M. ANTIPOV'ITCH, OF COYOACAN, MEXICO SWITCHING APPARATUS FOR, ELECTRIC SIGNS Application filed October 30, 1929, Serial No. 403,498, and in Mexico October 8, 1929.

This invention relates to an electric conconnected with the complete ring 3. Arductor, and particularly to a conductor which ranged to cooperate with contact strip a is a constitutes a flasher for electric signs. brush 6 connected with a conducting wire An object of the invention is to provide a terminating in a brush 66, which is arranged flasher in which two contact cylinders or to make contact with a contact cylinder or heads are connected in parallel to a movable head A of brass, or other suitable conducting control member, to give an increased variety material. Arranged to cooperate with conof lamp pictures orpatterns, and an increased tact strlp 7) 1s a brush 7 connected with a connumber of changes of such pictures or patducting wire 8, having a brush 9 making con- C: 10 terns I tact with a contact cylinder or head B, which Another object of the invention is to so aris also of a conducting material. range connections to the two contact cylinders Control drum 4 is rotated by any suitable or heads that one is operatively connected means, such as connections 10 with an electric 1 while the illuminating control pattern on the motor 11 indicated diagrammatically in Fig- 3;; 15 th i b i h d, ure I of the drawings, and shown in Figure A further object of the invention is to so thereof. Motor 11 is energized by a shunt arrange Connections t th t t t lcircuit 12 taking current from the main line inders or heads that there is an overlapping 1. The contact cylinders A and B are also period during which both cylinders are op rotated as shown in Figure V with operating 2o eratively connected, thus positively avoiding gearlng 13 WhlCh may be desirably operated 7 complete darkness of the sign at any time by connection to the control drum 4 or its acduring operative use of the flasher. tuating connections, as shown.

In the accompanying drawings Figure I is Each of the contact cylinders A and B as a diagram of the flasher indicating connecassociated therewith spaced segmental guide T 5 tions and operating means therefor; Figure members 14 and 15, of bakelite or other suit- II is a Vertical sectional view of the flasher able insulating material, Through orifices and connections; Figure III isalongitudinal 14a and 15a in these guide members pass sectional view through one of the conductmetallic contact fingers 16, each of which has ing cylinders or heads of the flasher, showing an electrical connection with one of the lam i". 30 the means for controlling contact fingers asterminals 18 on contact board 19. a 30 sociated therewith; Figure IV is a cross sec- As shown in Figure II of the drawings, tional view through the two contact cylineach of the terminals on contact board 19 ders or heads of the flasher; Figure V is a has connections 17a and 176 with contact finplan view of the flasher, illustrating pargers 16 associated with both contact cylinders 1? 5 ticularly the operating connections for the A and B. Passing over each of th C D control drum and the contact cylinders; and Cylinders A and B are pattern strips 20, of Figure VI is a front elevation of the timing paper or the like, which pass over suitable gears for producing and controlling moverolls 21. In well known manner, these patment of rotation of the contact cylinders. tern strips permit certain of the contact fini? to In the drawings the reference numeral 1 gers to make contact with the bodies of the indicates a lighting circuit, which is desircyl nder, while insulating others from the ably a standard alternating current 110 volt cylinder with which they are associated. Cercircuit. This circuit has one (the ground) am lamps are therefore supplied with curtenninal connected means of a, brush 2 rent In accordance With the contact Of the "Ti 45 with a. omplete ontact; ring 3 on control various fingers 16 On the bodies 0f contact drum 4. On control drum 4, the body of ylinders A and B.

which is of insulating material, such as bake- Means are provided for removing all the lite, hard rubber, or the like, are a plurality ng r 6 coop rating With each of the contact of arcuate contact strips, or fragmentary c0ncylinders from contact with the conductin 50 ducting rings, a, b, 0, cl, 6, and f, which are surfaces thereof. By reference to Figures II 'tationof control drum 4 continued through and IV of the drawing such means comprise a plurality of bars 61 of hard rubber or other suitable insulating material, each of the bars 61 being connected with one longitudinal row of fingers 16. Each of the bars 61 is connected by means of two links 22 with collars 23 slidable on thecylinder shaft 24. Contact arms 25 are pivoted to the collars 23 and to a member 26 connected with the plunger of a solenoid 27. Movement of the -connection 26 inwardly of the solenoid draws the collars 28 towardeach other, thereby raising the bars 61, and reincving the fingers 16 from contact with the surface of the cyllnder with whlch v they are associated. Conversely outward movement of the plunger brings the fingers V 16 into contact with the cylinder.

It will be seen that both the solenoids 27 associated with the contact cylinders A and B are connected with a wire of the circuit 1,

and are also connected respectively with brushes 28 and 30 making contact with the contact strips 0 and d of the control drum 4,

l brushes6' and 7 are in contact with the conand with the brushes 29 and 31 making contact with contact strips 6 and f of the control drum 4. This arrangement permits and produces reversals of current, energizingthe solenoids at difi'erent periods to act oppositely for raising and lowering. the bars 61 and contact fingers 16.

I 1 When the position of the control drum 4,

during. its rotation, is such that both the tact strips a and: I), both cylinders are in circuit, and are .in parallel. At the same time the brushes 28 and 29 are in contact with the strips 0 and e of the control drum.

This energizes both the solenoids 27 in such manner that the contact fingers'16 associated with each of the contact cylinders A and B papers on the cylinders. The ZtlOOVGlIlHY be considered to constitute the fully operative, orv Zero, position of control drum 4. On ro- 5 degrees, the brush 7 cooperating with con- ;tact strip 6 no longer contacts the same, and

lathe ground connection to cylinder B is broken. Cylinder B is thus deprived of its current, andis wholly unable to transmit current through any of its contact fingers 16 to the lamp terminals. Such lamps as depend for current upon contact with cylinder B @Ythus become dark-,while those depending for current upon contact A remain lighted, accordingto the pattern papers 20 on the cylinder remaining, in circuitv Upon a further 10 degree rotation of control drum 4, brush 29 passes out of contact with "contact stripe, and brush 31 contacts strip 7. This produces a reversal of current in the solenoid associated with contact cylinder B, and causes the solenoid to act upon connection 26 to draw collars 23 together, and thereby act upon bars 61 to raise all the contact fingers 16 from contact with cylinder B. During the succeeding 15 degrees of rotation of control drum 4, rotation of contact cylinder B is started, and continues during the rotation ofcontrol drum 4 through 120 degrees. The cylinder B carrying its pattern paper 20 with it, thus brings a changed pattern into position to cooperate with the contact fingers 16 0f that cylinder. Further rotation of control drum 4 through 15 degrees, brings the contact brush 29 again into contact with. strip 6, and carries brush '31 out of contact'with strip f, reversing the current in solenoid .27 associated with cylinder B, and energizing it to so act that contact fingers 16 associated with this cylinder are again pressed to the surface thereof, in accordance with pattern paper 20. A further rotation of control drum 4 through 10 degrees, causes the brush 7 to again contact strip Z) on the control drum. This again produces illumination of all lamps which depend for current upon contact cylinder '15, whil current is still supplied by way of contact cylinder A, fora short interval.

The condition. described immediately above, may be called the intermediate posi tion, in which current is supplied through both contact cylinders A and B. This condition' continues throughout a 5 degree advance of control drum 4.

From the intermediate position, a 10 degree rotation of control drum 4 removes brush 6 from contact with strip a, thus breaking the ground connection of the contact cylinder A and interrupting the passage of-current by way of thatcylinder.

Upon a further 10 degree rotation of control drum 4, the brush 28 ceases to contact strip 0 and brush'30 contacts strip (Z. The

action of solenoid 27 associated with the contact cylinder A is thus reversed, to raise the contact fingers 16 cooperating with that cylinder. After a further 15 degree rotation of control drum 4, contact cylinder A is rotated, and carrying with it the pattern paper 20 associated therewith, produces a change in the pattern of that cylinder. Rotation of contact cylinder A continues during the succeeding 120;degree movement of rotation of control drum 4.

A further 15 degree rotation of control drum 4 causes brush 28 to again contact strip 0, and'brealrscontact between brush 30 and strip. d. p This reverses the action of the solenoid 27 associated with contact cylinder A to again bringthe contact fingers 16 associted with that cylinder again into contact with the surface thereof. The next 10 degrees of rotation of control drum 4 again creasing the contact cylinder brings brush 6 into contact with strip a. This completes the operative cycle, the connections being returned to the fully operative, or zero, position above described.

As shown in detail in Figures V and VI, connections 13 may be provided whereby the contact cylinders A and B are rotated from the control drum 4, thus simplifying the timing of these cylinders to produce rotation thereof during the proper periods of a single revolution of control drum 4. The operating connections for the control drum 4 are designated generally by the reference numeral 10. These operating connections comprise a pinion 32 on the shaft of motor 11, whereby movement of rotation is transmitted through gear train 10 to the shaft 33 of control drum 4. On shaft 33 of control drum 4 is a fragmentarily toothed gear 34 arranged to mesh during a portion of each revolution thereof with gears 35 and 36 on the shafts 24 of the contact cylinders A and B.

By reference to Figure VI of the drawings it will be seen that the gear 34 on shaft 33 of control drum 4 is toothed throughout 120 degrees of its periphery, this 120 degrees are 34a corresponding to the .120 degrees of rotation of control drum 4 referred to in describing the cycle of the flasher.

The remainder of gear 34 is untoothed, and can slip on concave faces 37 and 38 of each of the gears 35 and 36. Each of the gears 35 and 36 has two symmetrically arranged toothed portions 39 and 40. The position of the gears shown is that immediately preceding rotation of gear 36 on the shaft of contact cylinder B, with the teeth of the toothed segment 34a of gear 34 about to mesh with the teeth of toothed portion 39 on gear 36. At the end of this meshing engagement gear 36 will have been turned through half a revolution, with the untoothed portion 38 thereof in contact with the gear 34, and the toothed portion 34a of gear 34 lying in the position indicated in dotted lines 34?). Further'movement of gear 34 brings its toothed portion into mesh with the toothed portion 40 on gear 35, thus rotating this gear also half a turn during the single complete revolution of gear 34.

It will be readily understood that the provision of two contact 0 linders gives a greatly increased variety of pictures, or patterns, through the control of currents to a lamp arrangement, and avoids the necessity of insize to un wieldy proportions, as would be the case if an equal variety were to be obtained by the use of a single contact cylinder. The use of two cylinders, with the arrangement provided, also permits a continuous illumination, there being no interval during which neither of the cylinders is operative. The picture, or pattern, may thus be changed by movement of the pattern paper on one cylinder, while current is passing by way of the other cylinder.

7 The operating connections further provide simple and eflicient means for mutually timing rotation of the contact cylinders with the conductors which cooperate with the control drum.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. A sign flasher comprising a continuously rotated control drum, a plurality of contact cylinders which are inter-connected in parallel and are in series with said control drum, and connections for intermittently and alternately rotating said cylinders.

2. A sign flasher comprising a continuously rotated control drum, a plurality of contact cylinders,-connections for intermittently rotating said cylinders, contact fingers arranged to be moved into and out of contact with said cylinders, and electrical means and connections associated with said control drum for intermittently supplying current to said cylinders and for moving the contact fingers into and out of contact therewith.

3. A sign flasher comprising a continuously rotated control drum, a plurality of contact cylinders which are inter-connected in parallel and are in series with said cont-r01 drum, and timing gears connected with the control drum for intermittently and alternately rotating said cylinders.

4. A sign flasher comprising a continuously rotated control drum, a plurality of contact cylinders, contact fingers arranged to be moved into and out of contact with said cylinders, electrical means and connections associated with said control drum for intermittently supplying current to said cylinders and for moving the contact fingers into and out of contact therewith, and synchronized connections for rotating the cylinders at intervals during which the contact fingers associated with the cylinders are out of contact therewith.

5. A sign flasher comprising a continuously rotated control drum, a plurality of contact cylinders, contact fingers arranged to be moved into and out of contact with said cylinders, electrical means and connections associated with said control drum for intermittently supplying current to said cylinders and for moving the contact fingers into and out of contact therewith, and timing connections to the control drum for rotating each of said cylinders at intervals during which the contact fingers associated with each are out of contact therewith.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

BORIS M. ANTIPOVITCH. 

